Electric railway-signaling



(N-o Model.)

G. 'WESTNGHOUSR Jr.

ELECTRIC vRAILWAY SIGNALING.

N0. 357,296. Patented Feb. 8, 1887.

N. PETERSnPhowLixhngmpm-r, wnsldngtun D c UNITED STATES PATENTY @maca GEORGE WESTINGHOUSE, JR., OE PITTSBURG, PENNSYLVANIA.

ELEcTRlc RAILWAYQSIGNAUNG.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 357,296, dated February 8, 1887.

Application led August 25, 1886.

To all whom it mayy concern,.- v

Be it known that. I, GEORGE Wissrmcr` HOUSE, Jr.,residing at Pittsburg, in the county of Allegheny and State of Pennsylvania, a citizen of the United States, have invented or discovered a certain new and useful Improvement in Railway Electric Signaling Apparatus, of which improvement the following is a specification.

In the'accompanying drawings, which make part of this. specification, Figure lis a diagrammatic plan illustrating the application of my invention; Fig. 2, a front view, in elevation, of one of the circuit-breakers employed; and Fig. 3 a vertical section through the same.'

,My invention relates to automatic-signaling apparatus, whereby danger andV cautionary signals governingV sections or subdivisions of a railway are successively set and cleared in and by the passage of atrain; and my improvements consist in certain novel combinations of automatic-signaling mechanism for sections constituting portionsof a block with blocktower signals and circuits, in the operation of which the section-signals are automatically and successively operated and the block-tower signals are set to and maintained at danger 7 as long as the signal or signals of any intermediate section remain at danger,said.block tower signals having the capacity of being set to danger by the operators whenever desired independently of the action of the intermediate section-signaling apparatus.

In the employment of block-signals on railways under such systems heretofore known and practiced, in which proper operation is dependent upon the attention and accuracy of operators in telegraph-stations, the neglect of an operator to set his signal to danger involves the risk of allowing a train to pass onto a section which is already occupied by another train. Again, as located upon many railways, the block-telegraph stations are usually at such distances apart that it is not practicable, conformably with the requirements of the traffic, to prevent two trains from occupying the same block at the same time, except in the case of passenger-trains.

e In an application for Lettersv Patent of even date 'herewith (Case A) I have described and shown a system in`which a line of railway or any desired portion thereof is divided into a Serial No. 211,817. (No model.)

continuous series of sections, governed by signals, the operation of which is wholly automatic, the same being successively set and cleared by a train as it passes from section to section. Under my present invention, while retaining the advantages of such automatic system, I extend the same to the operation of block-tower signals, which, as heretofore employed, have not been automatic, but dependent for actuation upon telegraph -operators, and I thus combine the automatic operation of block-signals with a similar operation of the signals of sections or subdivisions of less extent.

In the operation of my invention as herein illustrated a train entering upon the block will set the signal-of the block-tower to danger, and will likewise setto danger a danger-signal governing the rst sectionor subdivision of the block, and alsoa cautionary signal lo cated adjacent to said danger-signal, and giving indications relating to the next succeeding section. Upon the passage of 'a train to the second section of the block the danger-signal of the first section only is cleared, the cautionary signal on said first section and the dangersignal of the b1ock-tower remaining set at danger. rIhe latter signal remains continuously at danger as long as the train occupies the block, and the danger and cautionary signals on each succeeding section thereof are successively set to danger, the members of each pair in immediate succession, and are cleared independently until the train leaves the block, when all of them, together with the initial block-signal, are cleared, unless the latter be kept to danger by the operator in the tower by the use of a key.

My invention is herein illustra-ted as applied to a block or division, W, of one line of a double track, at the extremities of which are located the-usual block towers or stationsX and Y. The block W is subdividedinto a series of sections, of any desired length and number, in this instance three being shown, which are marked, respectively, I, II, and III. At the ends of the block and of the intermediate sections the rails of each line are insulated in any proper manner, as at w, the successive rails in each line between insulated points being connected so as to maintain a Continuous conducting-line for electricity, as

ICO

by the Robinson closed-track circuit system, and the two lines of rails of the sections are connected by wires g, la, and j, at or near one end of each section, respectively, with batteries G, H, and J. At or near the opposite ends of the sections the two lines of rails are connected by wires be, c6, and d, respectively,

or station X of the block, and danger and cautionary signals arranged in pairs, b b', c c', and d d', are located adjacent to and preferably a little to the rear of each. of the subdivisions or sections I I1 III, with reference to the'direction of movement of the train.

The signals may be connected to and adapted to be operated by any suitable form of signalmoving mechanism, whether actuated by clockwork, direct action ofthe armature of a magnet, or by iiuid under pressure. As instances of the class worked by track-instrument, may be cited the Rousseau, Hall, and other systems, and the track-circuit systems of Robinson, Pope, and others are likewise applicable.

As illustrated, the signal-operating mechanism is of the electro-pneumatic description, the signals a, b b', c c', and d d', being, respectively, connected to the piston-rods of cylinders A, B B', C C', and D D', the pistons of which are operated by the combined action of duid-pressure and electricity, and the signals are set and cleared by the movements of said pistons. The construction of this signal-operating mechanism, which does not, per se, constitute part of my present invention, is set forth in an application for Letters Patent of the United States filed by me August 7, 1886, Serial No. 210,266.

As in my application (Case A) before referred to, relays B, G2, and D2, connected by wires b", c6, and dGWth the opposite rails of the track WV, are located adjacent to the commencement of the sections l, 1I, III, in circuit, respectively, With the rail-batteries G, H, and J. The armatures and contact-points of the relays B2, C, and D? are connected by Wires with local batteries B, C3, and D. The circuit of the battery B3 of the first section extends through the magnet b2 of the operating mechanism of the danger-signal b of said section, and the batteries and relays of each succeeding section are in circuit with the magnet of the dangersignal-operating mechanism ofsaid section and with the magnet ot' the cautionary-si gnal operating mechanism on the next preceding section.

Circuit-breakers b4, c4, and d4, which are normally open, and which are closed by the movements of the section danger-signal-operating mechanisms B, C, and D in setting the signals b, c, and d to danger, are connected by wires 3 4, 12 13, and 16 17 With the magnets of the section cautionary-Signatoperating mechanisms B, C, and-D. Circuit-breakers bf', c5, and d5, the construction of which is shown on a larger scale in Figs. 2 and 3, are connected with the cautionary-signal mechanisms B', C', and D' on the sections I 1I III. Said last-named circuit-breakers consist of a metallic spring, c, which is connected at one end to a plate, e', iixed to a projection on the cylinder of the cautionarysignal-operating mechanism, being electrically insulated therefrom by non-conducting material c2 and connected to a bindingpost, e3. The normal position of the circuitbreakers when the cautionary signals are cleared is closed, the circuit then passing from the free end of the spring e to a contact-point, e, on a binding-post, e5, against which the free end ofthe spring abuts. Upon the release of the spring by the movement of the piston in setting the cautionary signal the circuit is broken at e'*,and the current is grounded by the contact of the spring with a metallic stud, e, secured to the plate e', which is connected to the metal of the operating mechanism, from which a metallic air-pipe or other electric conductor leads to the ground.

Circuit is made from the circuit-breaker b5 of the cautionary-signal-operating mechanism B' on the first section by Wire 5 through the magnet a2 of the operating mechanism A, which actuates the danger-signal a of the signaltower X, at the commencement of the block, to one pole of a battery, K, (a key, c, being interposed for making and breaking circuit by the operator in the tower, as may be desired,) and from the opposite pole of the battery K, by wire 6, to the circuit-breaker d5 of the operating mechanism D of the cautionary signal d', last in the block, thence by wires 7 8 through the circuit-breakers of each of the intermediate cautionary-siguai-operating mechanisms, (there being in this case one, only,) back to the circuit-breaker of the first cautionary-signaloperating mechanism, B'.

In operation, as described in my application (Case A) before referred to, the danger and cautionary signals b and b', on section I, are setto danger7 by the entrance of a train upon the block from the right. The breaking of the circuit through the circuitbreaker b5, by the movement of the piston of the cylinder B', in displaying the cautionary signal b', breaks the circuit of the battery K, and demagnetizes the magnet sZ of the signal-operating mechanism A, thereby causing the block danger-signal a to be displayed. As the train enters section Il, the danger and cautionary signals c c' on said section are displayed, and as soon as its rear passes off section I the danger-signal b of section I only is cleared, the cautionary signal b'remaining at (langer, its function being to indicate to the engineer Whether or not a train is on section II, it depending for its clearing upon said section II being unoccupied. The block-signale remains displayed, as the circuit of the battery K is broken at the circuit-breaker b5 and ci, and, inasmuch as one at least of the intermediate IOO IIO

cautionary signals will 4always be displayed as long as any portion of the train occupies a section of the block, it will be obvious that the block-signal will r'ema-in at danger until the block is unoccupied,when it,together with all the intermediate signals, will be cleared, unless the operator shall,.loy the movement of the key a3, set it to "danger'independently of the section signals. In continuous operation from block to block, the Wires 18 and 19 of the magnet d3 of the cautionary-signal-operat ing mechanism D, on the last section in the block, would be led to the relay of the first section in the next succeeding block, and t-hrough the local battery thereof and the magnet ofthe operating mechanism of the dangersignal of said section. The circuitfor the neXt block-tower signal'would extend through the circuit-breakers of the several cautionary section-signals, as in the block just described.

The application of` my improvements, while enabling the automatic operation of a series of section-signals to be conducted without dependence upon the operation of block-tower signals, provides the additional advantage of the substitution-of a corresponding automatic actuation of the latter for the attention and action of the operator, as heretofore required. I do not limit myself to the employment of both a danger and a cautionary signal on each section,as a single signal maybe used on each, if preferred; nor do I limit myself to the employment of any special construction of signals, or ofsignal-operating mechanism, as any of the known and approved forms of signals which are capable of operation through mechanism which is actuated by the passage of a train, and any description of signal moving mechanism adapted to be so operated, would be the equivalents of the corresponding devices adopted herein for illustration.

I claim herein as my invention- 1. In an automatic-signalingsystem embracing two or more sections orsubdivisions,which together Vform a block of railway-track, the combination of an independent signal-operating mechanism and signal governing the entire block, a series of intermediate section-signaloperating mechanisms connected in circuit one with the other and with circuits on the respective track-sections, a series of circuit-breakers connected .with the section signaloperating mechanisms,and an electric circuit extending through said circuit-breakers and connected with a battery and with said independent blocksignal-operating mechanism, substantially as set forth.

2. In an au tomatic-signaling system embracing two or more sections orsubdivisions,which together form ablock O'frailWay-track,the combination of a series of track-circuits, each extending from end to end of a section, a relay in each track-circuit, a series of signal-operatsection, circuit-breakers connected with said signal mechanisms, circuits connecting said signal-operating mechanisms with the relays, an independent signal-operating mechanism which actuates a signal located at or near the commencement of the block, anda circuit pass- .A ing through the circuit-breakers and connected with a battery and with said independent signal-operating mechanism, substantially as set forth.

3'. In an automatic signaling system embracing two or more sections or subdivisions, which together form a block of railway,-track,the combination of a series of track-circuits, each eX- tending from end to end of a section, a relay in each track-circuit, a signaling-circuit operated -by each relay,a signal-operating mechanism and signal for each section, the same being actuated bysaid signaling-circuit, circuits connecting said signal-operating mechanisms, a circuit-breaker connected with signal-operating mechanisms in one or more of the sections, and an electric circuit passing through said circuit-breaker and connected with a battery, andan independent signal-operating mechanism whichtactuates a signal located at or near the commencement of the block, substantially as set forth.

4. In an automatic-signaling system embracing two or moresections orsubdivisions,which together form a block of railway-track,the combination of a series of track-circuits, each extending from end to end of a section, a relay in each track-circuit, a signaling-circuit operated by each relay, a danger and a cautionary signal operating mechanism and signal for each section, each cauti'onary-signal-operating mechanism being connected electrically with the danger-signal-operating mechanism of one section and with the relay and the dangersignal-operating mechanism of the next succeeding section, a circuit-breaker connected with one of the signal-operating mechanisms on each section, and an electric circuit passing through each of said circuit-breakers and connected With a battery,and an independent signal-operating mechanism which actuatesasignal located at or near the commencement of the block, substantially as set forth.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand.

GEO. WESTINGHOUSE, JR.

Iing mechanisms and signals, one or more on a IOS 

